Hamilton Tiger-Cats vs. B.C. Lions vs: Week 10 game balls

Lions tame Tabbies in hard fought long weekend tilt

The B.C. Lions and Hamilton Ti-Cats don’t exactly seem to be modern-day rivals in the CFL. But after a hard-fought game at B.C. Place on Friday night, the re-match in Ontario becomes a little more interesting next weekend.

B.C. was in control for most of the game Friday, but you can always expect a valiant effort from veteran QB Henry Burris.

The Ti-Cats rallied late to make it a close final score, but the Lions had standout performances in all facets of the game, to the delight of the 30 thousand plus crowd on hand.

They didn’t wear those epic third jerseys, but they definitely showed up to play in this tilt.

Although the score wasn’t a blowout, it was a game the fans could walk away from with a feeling of pride and excitement for the weeks to come.

You can tell a lot about a team’s performance judging the vibe in the stands, and Friday’s crowd was happy with their Lions. As the Leos continue to fight for position in the very competitive West Division each game is virtually a must-win until the Riders and Stamps let off the gas.

Here are the Lions’ top performers in their halfway mark game of the 2013 CFL season.

Offensive game ball – Travis Lulay

It’s been what seems like a long time coming, but Travis Lulay finally had his standout game of the season. Number 14 was on point Friday night, tearing up the Hamilton secondary en route to the victory.

Fans have been slightly frustrated by their star quarterback’s less-than-star powered attack so far this season.

It wasn’t anything visibly wrong with Lulay’s game, just a lack of rhythm with the receiving core perhaps. But whatever it was, its history. Lulay went 26-36 with 359 yards and three touchdowns, clearly game ball worthy numbers from our beloved pivot.

Defensive game ball – Dante Marsh

This was a tough ball to give out. B.C.’s two steadfast vets showed up to play a huge game on Friday. Hard hittingKorey Banks registered seven tackles and a sack against the Ti-Cats, while longtime cornerback Dante Marsh tallied five tackles and a big interception. I went with Marsh, although the collective defense deserves a game ball one of these weeks.

The whole defensive unit played well vs. Hamilton

The whole unit played well, especially Marsh, the 10 year CFL and B.C. veteran.

Solomon Elimimian and Adam Bighill attract a lot of the attention and praise from the media, but the B.C. secondary is having a stellar season, and are a big reason the team is sitting 6-3, even with some offensive struggles during the early part of the season.

Let’s hope Marsh and Banks can come up with a few more top-notch games as the season gets into the home stretch.

Special teams game ball – Tim Brown

You’re probably getting used to hearing this gentleman’s name mentioned when it comes to special teams play. Tim Brown has been nothing short of sensational for the Lions this season.

Brown has been the buzz of the league in weeks past with his remarkable kickoff, punt and missed field goal returns.

He didn’t break a 100 yard return this week, but that’s mainly because Hamilton’s special teams coverage was excellent. Brown still managed to be a solid contributor to the team in the field position battle, which is very important in any close football game.

Don’t expect Brown to be kept out of the end zone for too much longer.

All in all it was a solid outing for the Lions to kick off the Labour Day long weekend.